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Cars Coming Soon: A 600-HP Mustang and a New Acura NSX?

It was over a year ago when I wondered how long it would be before an American muscle car became the first straight-off-the-lot 500-hp muscle car. Well, silly me. That mark was eclipsed probably the day after I wrote that post, and now a few cars offer a stock 500 horses or more.

While we’re all still waiting for a standard Mustang GT or Camaro SS to cross the 500 mark, the current Shelby GT500 makes over 500 horses and the coming Camaro ZL1, (which just recorded a stellar 7:41.27 ‘Ring time) will produce around 580 ponies. That’s pretty impressive and means the ball is back in Ford’s court to either keep the horsepower wars going or concede to Chevy that we’ve reached the point where horsepower is at its peak.

Yeah, right.

With the UAW deal with Ford done (pending ratification) it has come to light that the next Shelby GT500 will feature a 5.8-liter supercharged V8 that should put the ZL1 back into second place. We know this thanks to Mustangs Daily, which reports that the labor contract reveals that Ford’s Romeo Engine Assembly Plant will receive a $50 million investment to build the 5.8-liter supercharged mill. Of course, horsepower and torque numbers are pure speculation at this point, but I don’t think 600 is out of the question.

Now we just need that outdated rear suspension to catch up with the engine… 2014, perhaps?

In other news, the next movie to feature Tony Stark may include a glimpse into an exciting supercar future. Stark, played by Robert Downey, Jr., in the Ironman movies, famously drove an Audi R8. In the upcoming flick The Avengers, Stark just might drive a new Acura NSX.

This comes from AutoExpress, which isn’t exactly a source known to back down from a rumor. Still, though, they’ve been right before, so we should take this news with a bit of skeptical excitement. Priced to take on the Nissan GT-R, the next NSX could feature a 3.5-to-3.7-liter V6 driving the rear wheels and an electric motor in each of the front wheels.

I’d love to have one of the original series of NSX. A truly understated automotive secret. The new one looks like an Acura front end glued on an NSX, which isn’t a good thing.

As for the Mustang, who really cares? It’s an old dog that should have been taken to the pound 20 years ago. It’s boring, boring, boring, and that much horsepower in a rear-drive is headed for the ditch with the kinds of goofballs that buy Mustangs.